Though He Left Without A Single Word
by BonesBird
Summary: When a shock befalls a family, nobody knows how to deal with it. Least of all a son reconnecting with his father.


**Title: Though He Left Without A Single Word  
><strong>**Summary: When a shock befalls a family, nobody knows how to deal with it. Least of all a son reconnecting with his father.  
><strong>**Lyrics: I Hope You'll Meet Again - the Saw Doctors**

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><p><strong>The setting for this story will be revealed in a future fic, but this one-shot was actually inspired by a drabble I wrote (from Tom's perspective) for the drabble challenge. This is more about it, and it's from B'Elanna's. There are a few things changed from the drabble as this is to fit in with the timeline in my head. <strong>

**I promise "'Tis Not Too Late" will be finished soon. I'm planning to watch the finale again tomorrow so I can write it.**

**Diolch to the amazing writers of "How I Met Your Mother". The episode where Marshall's dad dies is a big inspiration for this oneshot.**

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><p><em><strong>Though he left without a single word<br>**__**T'was better in the end  
><strong>__**There are no words to say goodbye  
><strong>__**I hope you'll meet again**_

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><p>There weren't many things she dreaded telling Tom, but this was one of them. She was almost running through the halls, trying not to worry any one else, though she knew the second he saw her, he would know what she had to tell him. She saw him walking out of the mess hall, other members of their new crew around them. He faltered as he saw her approach. She saw the joy of his conversation with their friends fade.<p>

"B'Elanna"

"There was an accident, Tom" She started, feeling her own eyes start to water, knowing that there was no reason "On the shuttle back to Earth. Your dad" she faltered, then looked up at him "He didn't make it"

She watched as Tom's shoulder's slumped. He just looked down at her, as if begging her to say it was a joke. The pitiful noise that came from his throat almost tore her heart in two

"My dad's dead?" He asked, his voice almost a squeak, she just nodded as he pulled her into his arms. She felt his sobs against her shoulder, the officers passing knew better than to stop and ask. She started leading them towards their quarters, Tom not having calmed down for an instant. She almost couldn't believe that this news had brought him to his knees. As they walked in, Miral launched herself at her father's feet. The boisterous 18-month old allowing him to pick her up and hold her tightly.

"What am I supposed to so without my dad?" He asked her, a sense of longing in his voice that she'd never heard before, "We were only just." he trailed off, and she reached over and took his hand, even as Miral settled her head against his chest. "Why him, B? Why'd they have to take my dad" He almost whispered, gently stroking his daughter's hair. "We were just getting to know each other, man to man" He suddenly let out a howl of grief, and she believed that Sto'vo'kor had just been warned that a warrior was joining them. Miral yelped, then reached up to B'Elanna, while patting her father's cheek. "He's never going to see Miral grow up, B. He'll never meet any other kids" She put Miral on the floor, then wrapped her arms around Tom, gently rocking him. "He'll never know, I was proud to be his son" she lifted his chin, and looked into his eyes. Holding onto him as tightly as she dared.

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><p><em><strong>You don't say how you love him<br>**__**But it shows with every word  
><strong>__**When he played his favourite music  
><strong>__**Was the best you'd ever heard**_

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><p>Like everyone else at the memorial, she felt a little out of place, though she was with the family, and Tom's sisters had welcomed her well, as had their husbands, she still felt a step away from them all. She had only known Owen Paris for eighteen months. She held Miral, who didn't understand the ceremony. Trying to keep her quiet. Tom had held her hand, or had his arm around her, for the entire service, and even afterwards, he hadn't wanted to leave them alone for long.<p>

"Tom, go and help your mom" she told him, as she finally got Miral to sleep. She smiled at Kathryn and Harry on the next table, the only two of their friends who had been able to get back to Earth for the ceremony. Tom sat beside her instead of rush off.

"I want to be with you. B'Elanna" he looked to the floor "I'm still new to this family. I'm not the Tom they remember, and that's showing today. I don't have anything to talk to my sisters about, I don't even know their husbands" He shrugged, and looked at Harry and Kathryn, including them in his thought. "The four of you know me."

"I remember the last thing my father said to me" Kathryn said a few minutes later, looking at Tom directly, but including them all in her comment. "It wasn't anything deep or meaningful, it was something he said daily. He just said, '_be safe, Katie'_. I'll never forget them"

"My mothers" She wondered how to phrase it, as they had all been there when she tried to save her mother from the afterlife. "I suppose her real last words to me were something hateful I've long since forgotten, but the words I hold in my heart, are that we'll see each other again. You'll see your dad again, Tom"

"You know what my dad's last words were, _'That's a fine woman you've got, Tommy'_" Tom smiled, gripping B'Elanna's hand again. "We were talking about you, about how much Voyager's journey changed me." He wiped his eyes, and B'Elanna handed Miral off to her Aunt Kathryn, so she could appropriately comfort her husband. "I want him to know, I love him. But, I can never tell him now"

"He knows, Tom" came the soft voice of Tom's mother behind them. He stood up and wrapped his arms around his mother. B'Elanna just watched him, and hoped he'd begin to heal.

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><p><em><strong>You tell me of his interests<br>**__**How he loved the sound of trains  
><strong>__**Whenever you hear that whistle  
><strong>__**It's calling out his name**_

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><p>"So honestly, he's shouting and shouting for me to come back to shore, and this raft, I swear I could barely fit on it, and it was made from some old silk bloomers, and some wood, and I was sure I could sail around the world in it. I was so angry he stopped me" Tom explain another one of the stories about him and his father, from his younger years, they were curled up together in the bed, just talking after the memorial. "I was six, and he told me about all the creatures of the deep, and all the creatures of the sky. It was one of the best days I remember"<p>

"It sounds like it was a lot of fun"

"I want to take Miral camping, and swimming, and sailing. Whatever we can do, and wherever we can do it" Tom smiled, and wrapped his arms around her, leaning his forehead against hers, before he leant down and kissed her briefly.

"She'll grow up hearing all about her Poppop"

"I love you" he whispered, looking deep into her eyes, and she knew he wanted her to see how much he loved her. She just kissed him again.

"I know. I love you too." She settled down against him again. Listening to another story, and proud of the man she married.

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><p><em><strong>All the lonely years you suffered<br>**__**Remembering back when  
><strong>__**The days seem so much longer  
><strong>__**I hope you meet again**_


End file.
